The end of the I-94 form?

Yesterday, the Customs and Boarder Partol section of the Department of Homeland Security indicated that it was moving to electronic I-94 documents.

For decades travellers have had to fill out of these form before landing in the US. Originally only in the white version, when a deal was on the Visa Waiver scheme, a green came along for national from ‘friendly countries’. It seems however, that even the white is set to be retired at the end of April. (The Green I-94W died when the ESTA scheme was introduced for pre-approval of travel).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced the publication of an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register that will automate Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record to streamline the admissions process for individuals lawfully visiting the United States. Form I-94 provides international visitors evidence they have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. which is necessary to verify alien registration, immigration status, and employment authorization.

The automation means that affected visitors will no longer need to fill out a paper form when arriving to the U.S. by air or sea, improving procedures and reducing costs. The change will become effective on April 26 and will be implemented at air and sea ports of entry in a phased approach beginning April 30.

I am sure it will delight travellers of all nations, and might actually speed things up for passengers who often seemed unable to fill in the form properly.

last couple of flights back from Mexico American Airlines only had the spanish version, and the FA didn’t know how to fill them out. they had to find someone to translate, ironic that AMERICAN airlines had no english forms.

Border Patrol does not stamp I-94. Customs and Border Protection officers do. And the green form/visa waiver program countries were not just “for national from ‘friendly countries’” It was more for countries who has a visa refusal rate of less than 3 percent.